


Murdoc + Hanging + Stable + Jack + Mac + Torture

by NatalieRyan



Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Angst, Day 1, Feral Mac, Gen, Kidnapping, Murdoc is evil, Torture, Whump, Whumptober 2020, but that’s not a surprise, in which Jack is back from the Kovacs mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26753689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/pseuds/NatalieRyan
Summary: Mac grinned when he saw it was Jack and picked up excitedly."Hey, big guy. What has held you so much?  Don't be mad, I'm already at work-"There was a familiar whistling on the other end of the line and Mac's blood froze as his steps halted and he was suspended in the middle of the hall with people bustling about while Mac's world was crumbling.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948579
Comments: 21
Kudos: 38
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Murdoc + Hanging + Stable + Jack + Mac + Torture

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SabbyStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabbyStarlight/gifts), [N1ghtshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/N1ghtshade/gifts).



> It’s October!!! Which means, it’s Whumptober time!!! I’ve been waiting for this month for so long, and I am excited to share with y’all what my (evil) brain came up so far and as it will throughout the month.   
> Today’s prompt is “Let's hang out sometime” with the three sub-prompts of Waking up restrained, Shackled and Hanging, which I have incorporated in my story (you get little bits of everything).   
> This story is an AU in which Jack has returned from the Kovacs mission and is back working with the Phoenix. Murdoc decides to switch things up and kidnaps Jack instead.   
> Special thanks to SabbyStarlight and N1ghtshade that have helped me flesh out this story and with the suggestions for the messages that Murdoc sends to Mac, as well as with listening to me yell, scream, and be overall very anxious about the whole concept of Whumptober and its concept. N1ghtshade also helped me finding the location where I had Murdoc stick Jack for the time being. Super grateful. And Sabrina, you were there since the start, when I hadn’t even decided I was gonna do this. And for listening in to my crazy idea about Murdoc kidnapping Jack that one time I rewatched 1x08 and decided it was going to be awful if that happened.   
> And then, as always, Nade wrote the fic.   
> (I am turning into Jack with talking about myself in the third person, ooops)  
> Thank you N1ghshade for the beta :**  
> Without further ado, day 1 for your pleasure.

Mac was going to be late for work. He knew it. He was still waiting for Jack and simultaneously starting to worry because his partner was a no-show. Mac wasn't much for the driving and Jack was their designated driver to and from work every day. It was several months since Jack returned from the Kovacs mission and this was the first time Mac got hurt on the job with Jack as his Overwatch (again). 

(Although this time Mac had a legit reason why he shouldn't be driving. His thigh was still healing and it was twinging in pain from time to time.) 

But it looked like Jack wasn't going to get to Mac's place in time. So driving it was. 

Mac dialed Jack's number before he left the house but the call went straight to voicemail. That in itself could mean many things. Maybe Jack's phone ran out of battery. Maybe Jack turned it off and forgot to turn it on? Maybe... Mac ran out of possibilities on the "maybe". He was really not supposed to drive, but hell would freeze over before he called an Uber with his vehicle still functional. 

Mac knew Jack was going to be pissed if he arrived at the house and didn't find Mac or the Jeep, but Mac would take that over Jack being radio silent, any day. 

Mac drove slowly, not putting too much pressure on his injured leg and he was at the Phoenix with a few minutes to spare. He parked the Jeep and got out, heading towards the entrance of the building. He was halfway through to the War Room when his phone rang. Mac grinned when he saw it was Jack and picked up excitedly. 

"Hey, big guy. What has held you so much? Don't be mad, I'm already at work-" 

There was a familiar whistling on the other end of the line and Mac's blood froze as his steps halted and he was suspended in the middle of the hall with people bustling about while Mac's world was crumbling. 

"Oh, MacGyver, sorry we kept you waiting. Jack can't come to the phone right now, but he says hi. I say 'says' when he's actually restrained and I used some duct tape to shut that big ol' trap of his. Couldn't ruin this surprise call for you with his yapping." 

Mac's breath hitched and he knew Murdoc heard him when there was a chuckle coming from Murdoc. 

"What is it, MacGyver? Cat got your tongue? Oh. You didn't read my message, did you?" 

Mac scrambled with his phone until he saw a text from Jack's number. It was sent while he was driving to work and probably Mac didn't hear the ping because of the traffic sounds. 

The message said:  _ "The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas."  _

Mac's heart seized. 

"Where is he? Where are you holding him?" 

There was a creepy laugh again and Mac shivered. 

"Holding him implies I'm actually holding him, Angus. You should know by now if you've already tried so yourself. He is too heavy for me to hold him. So, I kinda hung him. You know, as much as I'd love to test that theory out, he is not you..." 

Murdoc trailed off and Mac shuddered for an entirely other reason now. Ever since the start, Murdoc looked at him like Mac was a four course meal and Murdoc wanted to devour him. It scared Mac with what it implied. Murdoc never tried anything before, but it wasn't like he had to say it or do something to confirm it. Mac had an inkling what Murdoc wanted from him. Why Murdoc didn’t kill him when he had the chance. And it was something that disturbed Mac regularly whenever they dealt with Murdoc. 

And Mac was all alone now. Murdoc had Jack. 

"Murdoc, what do you want?" 

"Oh, that's not the reason why I took your guard dog, Angus. Stop  _ squirming _ , Jack." There was a scuffling noise and a grunt before Murdoc spoke up again. "Your beloved partner wants to play a tough guy and he needs to be taught a lesson. So, where were we? Ah, yes, what do I want. Believe it or not, I don't want anything. This is more for fun." 

"You are sick, you know that, right?" 

"Depends on which side you are looking from, wonder boy. I am brilliant. And this time it will take you a bit longer to figure things out. You didn't even notice your partner was missing until I called." 

Murdoc probably knew about the missed calls and was bluffing. But if Jack was taken before he saw Mac called him... well Jack could be thinking Mac didn't care enough to search for him. And it was so soon after they repaired their friendship, Mac was having a hard time to keep himself in check thinking about what could be going through Jack's brain. 

So, what the hell, Mac was desperate, what good would it do if he kept it from showing it.

"You and I both know that there's several missed calls and voicemails on Jack's phone. You won't get me to play your sick mind games this time?" 

"I wonder... What is so fascinating about this brute force of a man, MacGyver? Clearly you could have picked up better and  _ younger _ friends. And you have. But something about Jack... Why is he so important to you? What's the thing that just clicks? That was always what I wanted to know. I've watched you two. Studied you closely. And I still don't have the answer." 

Mac closed his eyes because he was on the verge of tears. This was going to an uncharted territory. Mac didn't want to think too much about it all because it always meant diving deeper into his soul and to the core of it all. And his relationship with Jack was for him and Jack only. Many people didn't understand why he was friends with Jack, but it wasn't theirs to understand. The bond between him and Jack was something Mac struggled for years to create with someone. Bozer came the closest to that, but Jack  _ just got him _ like no one else, and no offense to Bozer but Jack was Mac's best friend. Jack just knew Mac and how Mac ticked. And now Murdoc rattled the hornets nest and opened raw one of the oldest wounds in Mac's soul. 

"Why are you doing this?" Mac's voice was cold and distant and he couldn't remember doing it, but his legs finally moved and he walked towards the War Room. He entered the room like a hurricane, not caring if there was a briefing going on inside. Jack's life was on the line and his brain was going from "find Jack" to "save Jack". And sadly, the person that could pull him out of the loop his head was caught in, was the reason why Mac was in such a frenzy. 

"Why? Oh, consider this a little punishment for dear old Jack. And yourself, MacGyver. See, I didn't appreciate Mac Daddy sticking me with my worst nightmare on the same black site. But since he is six feet under, you are the closest I'll get to avenging myself." 

There was a pang in Mac's heart when Murdoc said that. James wasn't the father of the year, but his death was sitting ill in Mac’s heart. 

By now he had the phone on speaker and Matty called one of the techs in the room to try and run a trace while she pulled Riley and Bozer as well as Desi from the stakeout they were on. Mac was grateful for how fast and calm and collected Matty ran things while Mac was panicking. 

"What... what are you punishing Jack for?" 

Mac needed to know. As much as he dreaded the answer, he had to know. 

"Oh, you know, the stunt he pulled last year. When he thought it was a good idea leaving you all alone and vulnerable, when he should have stayed. He went to hunt down Kovacs and left you all alone MacGyver. In a world where  _ I _ exist." Murdoc chuckled and Mac had to sit down because he was afraid his legs were going to give out. 

He and Jack hashed things out and Mac convinced Jack things were good between them, but what Mac also knew all too well was Jack's propensity of blaming himself for everything so he had no idea how Jack saw things from his end. 

"Oh, come on, MacGyver. Don't hold on my account. I know you were miserable when he left you. I was surprised at first. He didn't strike me as the type to leave you. But he did. They all do in the end, Angus."

Mac looked up right then because Desi, Riley and Bozer flew in the War Room as a whirlwind and caught the end tail of Murdoc's words. There were collective gasps and Mac closed his eyes again. 

"Oh, stop growling, Jack. We are having a conversation here." 

There was an audible hit and a muffled moan and Mac felt like his heart was ripped out because Murdoc was hurting Jack and it was Mac's fault. 

"Stop hurting him. I'll do whatever you want me to. Just stop." 

"Oh, I didn't know we were starting to be beg so early, darlin'." Murdoc drawled in a fake Texas accent which made Mac feel sicker.

"You don't have to do this." 

"Oh, but I do. See, I feel obligated on your behalf, MacGyver. Show our hero that it was wrong what he did." 

There was some shuffling and a muffled scream and Mac was vibrating out of his skin. Riley was now on her rig as well, but they hadn't found Murdoc's location yet. 

Bozer was sitting in the chair next to Mac's and Desi was pacing like a caged lioness. She cared about Jack as well no matter how she tried to come off as all bluster and no feelings. He was like a big brother to her, Mac was sure of it. 

God help Murdoc when they found him. 

Or maybe not. 

Mac could laugh with where his brain was taking him with his thoughts. 

"I don't fucking care what you think you are doing, but you are not doing me any favors by hurting him on my behalf. It would be hard to do that, because I don't want him hurt, Murdoc." 

"But,  _ why _ , MacGyver?" 

There was some shuffling as if Murdoc turned around and then when his voice sounded next, Mac knew that Murdoc was talking to Jack. "You left him. What kid of a guard dog does that? What were you thinking? And you, Angus? You replaced him, fell right into step and into bed with Desiree. As if he was nothing to you. As if Dalton was some old rag to be discarded and forgotten as soon as he was out of the picture." 

There was a pause where Mac wasn't sure what Murdoc would do next. 

"Tell me... what's so important about Jacky boy? You can do it with another overwatch once I kill him." 

"Don't you dare, Murdoc!" 

"Then tell me! Why won't you just admit it out loud. Say it, there's no shame in having feelings that you can't explain out loud, Angus. And I'm sure our Jack will appreciate them." 

"I told you I won't play your games!" 

"Oh, feisty! I like it. That's it, MacGyver. Atta boy." 

"Murdoc." 

"You know what happened last time, right? Someone you cared about died. Last time I killed someone you cared about, I disturbed your plans... and made you rethink your priorities. I prevented you from going back to your girlfriend back to Nigeria. Also, out of all places, Nigeria? That was a weird choice even for you MacGyver. 

"What I'm trying to say is, I took her, I lured her here and  _ took her _ . So what's going to stop me from popping one between Jack's eyes, huh Angus? What's preventing me from taking Jack from you?" 

"Please, don't." 

Whatever stoicism Mac tried to show went out of the window with Murdoc's words. A tear slipped down Mac's cheeks and there was a lump in his throat that was preventing him from talking. 

It turned out he didn't have to. 

"Be seeing you, MacGyver." 

The line went dead. 

… 

Jack thought he was past the days where something could surprise him. In his line of work and with the experience he had plus the years of service under his belt, he thought he couldn't be surprised by anything anymore. It was just a matter of time when another psychopath decided to unleash terror on people and ruin lives. 

It was part of the reason why he accepted to lead the team that was tasked with capturing Kovacs. His sense of commitment and seeing that mission through was one. James MacGyver threatening him was the other. As well as preventing Kovacs from killing innocent people. But the threats and keeping Mac safe were top priority so Jack accepted the offer. And broke his most important promise and breached the trust he had built with Mac. And that hurt more than any bullet or knife wound Jack had ever endured. The worst torture couldn't hold a candle to how he was feeling when he saw the kid with an ice cold look, shaking his hand and keeping himself at bay with Jack out of all people. But Jack understood. He hurt Mac and he deserved the cold shoulder. 

He was devastated when Mac quit and left for Nigeria, but he understood the reasoning and why Mac did it. He wasn't sure Mac would ever forgive him for the Kovacs thing. 

But Mac did. 

When Jack touched ground at Camp Pendleton with the military transport he was shipped on as soon as possible after Kovacs was taken out, Mac was there. And at first Jack thought that it was his concussion that created a mirage and that Mac wasn't real, but then his kid was running and soon enough he had an armful of sobbing Mac that held on too tight and buried his head in Jack's neck. The sobs and harsh breaths were breaking his heart, but he only held tighter in response, not caring about his injuries and whatnot. 

Jack knew that he was risking his job and the classified mission, but he wasn't able to erase the way Mac looked when Jack left and how he looked when Jack returned so he breached the confidence they put into him for this mission and told Mac everything. It was a long night, laced with tears and curses, but Jack vowed never to break Mac's trust anymore. And that Mac had permission to kick him if he did. 

They were on good terms again, and things were back to how they were. Not everything because they were both changed people now, but some things were the same as they used to. Like Jack picking Mac up for work. Especially since the kid ended up shot in the thigh on their latest op and was only cleared for light duty starting today. And he was going to be late because there was an accident right on the road he used to bypass busy LA traffic to get to Mac's place. 

Jack didn't have much time to muse over who else used the backroads when his spidey senses started tingling. 

The car that had apparently crashed into a bike felt too staged and the bike looked like it was hard pressed before it was flung on the road. And there was the lack of smoke coming out of the car. It felt too perfect. 

And then the world went black. 

...

The next time Jack came to himself he was in the trunk of a car, his hands were bound behind his back and he was blindfolded. Duct tape was stuck to his mouth and the lack of air in the trunk coupled with the wound on his temple made him lightheaded. 

After a while the car stopped and the driver pulled up short in front of the trunk. As soon as they opened it, Jack was kicking wildly until whoever took him drove the door of the trunk heavy on his leg. Jack yelped and although it didn't break, he could feel the point of contact and dang it,  _ it hurt _ . 

"Stop fighting, or I will order my men to take Angus out right this second." 

Jack stopped immediately when he heard Murdoc's voice and the threat behind his words. Murdoc was a whole new brand of crazy and he never gave empty threats so Jack listened to him and stopped squirming. 

Murdoc forcefully pulled him out of the trunk and a second later a gun was driven in the small of his back as he was marched towards what Jack could tell was an abandoned ranch.

He looked around and there were several boarding stables that, judging by the looks of it, were abandoned for years. One was regularly cleaned in, from the looks of it and Jack wondered if Murdoc lived there. Jack managed to catch part of the name on the tag on the stable and it was Jackson. 

"Welcome to the Double J boarding stable, Jacky boy. Feel like you are back home at your ranch. It's as close as you can get here in LA." 

Jack had no time to look for exits or vantage points before he was pushed into one of the stables and Murdoc was pulling shackles from the wall that were connected to some contraption that when activated, it pulled his arms upwards and Jack tried to scream as pain radiated in his bum shoulder. Involuntary tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to breathe through the pain.

"Now, now, why are you crying? We haven't started on the fun, yet." 

Jack could only glare daggers at Murdoc and hope for the best, but the gleam in those dark, sociopathic eyes was scaring him just that tad more than usual. 

"If you try to break free from this and try to escape, which I don't think you could even if you wanted to, Angus will get hurt." 

And then Murdoc was pulling up a tablet with live feed of someone parked on the road a bit further from Mac's house, but watching the house and waiting. Like a predator waiting for its prey. And Jack felt sick. 

"One peep, and wonder boy gets a bullet." 

Jack wished for Murdoc to let him talk because he just had the right words to say to this son of a bitch. 

Everyone that dared to lay a hand on his kid was going to face his wrath. 

"We shall call the little handsome devil now, hm? What do you say, Jack? You up for a chat?" 

There was nothing Jack could do or say as Murdoc pulled Jack's phone out of his pocket. He turned it on and sent a quick text and then dialed. 

Jack could hear his erratic heartbeat in his ears as Murdoc waited for Mac to pick up. And Jack didn't know if it was the hit to the head or possibly the concussion he sustained, but he almost forgot he was supposed to pick Mac up for work. He was wondering if Mac tried to call him and what was going through Mac's head when Jack didn't pick up. 

When he heard Mac's cheerful voice through the other end Jack breathed a sigh of relief. That was until Murdoc spoke and it was clear his kid was trying hard to stay calm when he heard Murdoc talking. 

Jack was desperate to ease the pain and hurt he could hear in Mac's voice once Murdoc put the phone on speaker. 

Murdoc picked up one of the riding crops and whips that were hanging on the stall door and from time to time he delivered hits and whips. Jack tried not to make any painful sounds but they were biting his skin and stung and he could hear the hitch in Mac's voice every time Murdoc hurt him and the promise of hell to come when Mac found Murdoc. Because Jack was sure his kid was going to find him. If he didn't, then Jack wasn't going to hold that over his head. Jack could find his way out given a bit of time to get out of whatever was holding his arms above his head. 

He chanced a look above his head and regretted it immediately when the movement made him dizzy and he groaned when he realized the thing was like one of Mac's doohickeys. 

Murdoc chose that moment to deliver a particularly sharp hit with the riding crop and Jack moaned as the cut it left criss-crossed with one of the whip lashes. 

Jack was slowly fading and the only thing he could focus on was his kid talking, his voice fighting for composure, but then Murdoc started talking about punishing them both and Jack couldn't help but feel the guilt he was trying so hard to suppress. He could take all the physical blows, all the lashes, he'd bear all the scars. But it all led to the guilt he felt all this time. From promising Mac for years that he'd stay and then one day just leaving, to coming back and coming clean. He knew that Mac forgave him, and if Jack was right, Mac had his own set of guilt to live and deal with. 

Jack hated Murdoc. Despised him so much for planting the seed of the doubt in his kid, and bringing him back to a spiral. Because Jack might not have been there, but he knew Mac was going out of his mind and Jack wasn't exaggerating when he was saying he needed Mac as much as Mac needed him. Jack was able to pull him out of his head when Mac was getting stuck and his brain was working against him. 

The threat to take Jack out and the fact that Murdoc knew Mac briefly dated Desi were disturbing on its own and enough to open his eyes and wake him up enough to focus. He had to get out of here before Murdoc drove the kid out of his mind. 

When Murdoc disconnected the call, Jack felt relief. Relief that Murdoc wasn't taunting Mac anymore. But also dread, because there was nothing that could be said for what Murdoc could do to him now. 

The facts were, with Mac, Murdoc had a goal to keep him alive and intact as much as possible. Jack knew he didn't hold the same level of interest with Murdoc like Mac did. So there was no way of telling what Murdoc's next moves were going to be. And Jack wasn't afraid of how physical Murdoc could get with him. He was petrified for how much Murdoc had gotten into Mac's head at this point. 

And there was also the need to stay alive enough so Mac could kick his ass for falling into Murdoc's trap. 

Murdoc typed something on Jack's phone and then he turned around to face Jack. 

"So, Jacky boy. Seems like we are all alone right now." 

Jack had a smartass remark on the tip of his tongue about how there was no one else around before either, but a solid kick to his stomach prevented him from it. Instead he was busy sucking up air. 

… 

Mac knew that he was losing it. Especially since everyone in the room turned to him with worried looks. It was the worst, because he was supposed to have it together, instead he was freaking out and doing Jack no favors. The longer Jack was in the hands of Murdoc, the longer Murdoc had Jack to hurt him. Mac couldn't allow Murdoc that pleasure. So he had to think. 

Bozer was the first to speak up. 

"Mac..." 

"I'm fine, Boze. I'm okay." 

"No, you are not. But that's okay." 

Mac smiled at his friend's reassurance. It wasn't what he needed, but he appreciated the thought. What he needed was to find Jack. 

His phone pinged with another text and he all but hurled the phone at the wall. 

It was another one from Murdoc's trademark texts that made his blood boil, but it was cryptic as hell. 

_ "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water."  _

"This makes no sense."

"What makes no sense?" It was Desi that asked this time and Mac looked up to find her worried gaze turned on Mac as well. 

He handed her the phone and she read the text out loud. 

"I thought he was creepy before. Now, I don't think creepy describes him enough." 

"You are right." Bozer chimed in. "I still have nightmares from that first time he broke into Mac's house." 

Mac shuddered at the thought. 

"Riles, anything on his location?" 

"Just that he is in the general area of Los Angeles. I don't have an exact location. I tried extracting data from the location on Jack's phone prior to him being taken and it stops right here." She showed a dot on the map. Mac recognized the street. 

"He usually takes that road to get to my house. Avoid traffic." 

"After that, there's no activity until the phone was turned on almost 50 minutes later, so that doesn't give Murdoc a big time frame to find shelter." 

"So this was pre-planned? Like with Nasha?" 

"Seems so, Bozer. I mean it looks like a clean snatch and grab. And he must have followed Jack to pick up on his routine and which route he used to get to Mac's place so he'd know where to grab him." 

Mac swallowed hard, fending off nausea. It felt so wrong to discuss Jack's movements without his presence.

"What about when Murdoc called? Any luck on the location of the phone call?" 

"I picked up signals from several cell towers. And the best I could get was Hansen Lake." 

Mac's head whipped in the direction of Riley's voice. 

"Say it again?" 

"Hansen Lake. It looks like it's some sort of a nature or park terrain." 

"It's also close to where I live and you can remote access it from the road where Jack's last location pinged from." 

They all looked at each other and then at Mac. 

"It's close to a half an hour car ride." 

"Twenty-six minutes." Riley said and closed her rig in defeat. 

"Matty, can you pull up Jill's notes on the Murdoc case, please?" 

Matty pressed a few keys on the screen and Jill's scanned notes appeared on the screen.

Mac searched through them until he gasped. 

"What is it, Mac? What do you see?" Desi was peering at the screen on Mac's left. 

"When Murdoc killed Jill, at first I thought it was because he wanted to keep me on US soil. But he couldn't have predicted that I'd stay and wouldn't leave for Nigeria again." 

Mac took a deep breath. This was so messed up. 

"Then it clicked. She was getting closer to him. And Jill was nothing if not meticulous. So I studied her notes after her funeral. I came along these scribbles that I didn't know what they meant at the time. But now with the location Riley provided and Murdoc's text, I think I know the reason why she was killed." 

Matty gasped. 

"She figured out where he was hiding. And his real identity." 

Mac sagged back in the chair and held his head with his hands. This was it. They finally had Murdoc's real name. And Jack's possible location. 

"Dennis Brandel. That's the name. There are several boarding stables on the property not far from where the lake is. They are abandoned for years. And in Jill's notes it said that they were inherited by Dennis when his parents died. No one has lived or kept horses there in almost twenty years." 

Riley was frantically typing on her keyboard. 

"Here says that one of the stables has been used a lot in the past year and a half. Specifically in the months we didn't have Murdoc in custody. It's the Double J Ranch horse boarding stable. It's not on the list of property that Dennis inherited, but it's 15 minutes on foot from the main central. The Double J stands for the owners. Brady Jackson and Leroy Jensen. Both decreased." 

"So what you are thinking is this psycho is holding Dalton at the Double J ranch?"

"Yes, Matty. I think he does." 

"Well then, let's get Jack home." 

...

It didn't take long for them to assemble a team and head over to Hansen Lake. Mac was jittery the whole time. Bozer was driving one of the Phoenix issued SUVs, with Matty in the front and Riley, Mac and Desi in the back. The TAC teams followed behind them. They were determined not to let Murdoc escape them this time. 

Mac couldn't contain his nervousness and he knew that he was annoying Desi and Riley, but he was out of his mind with worry and wondered if they were too late and Murdoc made good on his threat and killed Jack. 

He felt one of Riley's hands sneak into his and hold on tight. He squeezed back and felt better at the contact. Mac knew she was equally as worried for Jack, he was like a father to her. But she definitely kept her cool.

"We'll get him back, Mac. Don't worry." 

Mac smiled and then felt his other hand being enveloped by Desi. She wasn't big on physical touch, not even while they dated, but Mac appreciated the gesture. Holding on to Desi and Riley, and by sheer will, he didn't panic.

Once they reached the Hansen Lake area, Mac let go of their hands and tightened the leather jacket he wore around himself. He checked his pockets for his trusted SAK and then he was out of the car once they stopped. 

There was a car parked on the side of the road, directly in front of the Double J Ranch. And although there were several stables to be checked first, Mac walked like a man on a mission towards the one in the center. 

He heard his team yell at him to stop, but Mac was so done at this point that he didn't listen. He was going to save Jack. He came for him and he wasn't going to wait around. 

It turned out that his hunch was right. He found Jack in the stable in the middle. He was bloody and hanging from one of the beams and Mac could cry with relief when he saw Jack's chest rise and fall. That meant Jack was breathing and he was alive. 

Mac removed the duct tape from Jack’s mouth and an instant relief spread through him as he saw Jack groan a little. He knew removing the sticky tape was a bitch and it pulled on skin, but it beat having Jack to still have it on. 

He approached Jack and he couldn't help the groan in frustration when he saw how Murdoc bound his arms above his head. Mac carefully unlatched the hook and pulled his SAK to cut through the wire and rope. He carefully removed the shackles. Mac rubbed Jack's arms to return some of the circulation and hissed when he saw how bruised and cut Jack's wrists were. 

He didn't have much time to check for other injuries before he had an armful of uncooperative Jack. He just sagged on Mac and Mac hugged him close, trying to keep it together. Jack was safe. Now, they just had to get out of here. 

"Jack. Hey, Jack, it's me." 

Jack blinked his eyes open and looked at Mac with tired eyes. There was so much pain, exhaustion and fear in those whiskey brown eyes that Mac wanted to scream. 

"That you, hoss?" 

"Yeah, Jack. I'm here." 

"He left a few minutes ago. You should... he might come back any minute now. Go." 

"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you." 

"Damn you, Barnes. Just go and save yourself." 

"Fuck you, Rogers. I am not leaving you behind." 

Jack chuckled against Mac's neck and Mac tightened the grip he had on Jack. Mac knew he sounded like Bucky in The First Avenger, and he owned up to it. He wasn't leaving Jack. Not this time. 

"Think you can walk if I helped you?" 

"Maybe, I dunno." 

"Let's try, then." 

There were footsteps approaching the stable door and Mac tensed. He would recognize that gait everywhere and he prepared for Murdoc's attack. But it never came. He was watching and observing. 

"Oh, what a lovely reunion. I love this. Ain't this adorable? Oh so many family feels..." Murdoc cooed at them and even though Mac had his back towards him, he could feel those dark eyes boring holes in him and Jack. And Mac was sure if he turned around he could see Murdoc pointing his gun at them. 

Jack was bleeding from the gash on his forehead. Mac must have done something to open the wound when he set Jack free from the shackles. And he was a bit disoriented, but otherwise he looked okay. 

Mac wasn't going to let him fight his battles. This one was Mac's to finish. 

Mac wrapped his arms around Jack and whispered in his ear. "No matter what happens, stay still. Okay?" 

"No. Hoss, what are you gonna do?" 

"Trust me." 

Mac took a deep breath and hoped Jack would listen to him and then in one swift movement he turned around and faced Murdoc. 

He could see Murdoc recoil from the way Mac moved and his right hand shook. 

"What happened, Murdoc? Cat got your tongue? Or now there's not a barrier between us, maybe you got scared?" 

Murdoc gulped although the grip on his gun didn't falter. 

"You are scared of the nerd? Oh yeah, you think I should be scared because you are holding the gun. News flash: I. Don't. Care." 

Later, Mac would ask himself what possessed him to do that, but right then he wasn't stopping to think things through. He was going to get Jack out of this. 

He flicked his wrist and released the switchblade on his SAK and flung it at Murdoc. The knife lodged itself in some part of Murdoc's body, but he didn't stop to look where. He just charged and tackled Murdoc. They traded blows for a while. Mac managed to knock the gun out of Murdoc's hand and to retrieve his knife. Murdoc gave as good as he got, and Mac was sure he ended up with a split lip and lots of bruises. But it didn't matter. The only important thing was Jack. Save Jack. 

Just then an arm reached and grabbed him. Mac screamed and charged back, realizing belatedly that it was one of the Phoenix tac guys. Another one came at him, but he wasn't about to let Murdoc go.

Just then a weak "Mac" coming from the stable snapped Mac out of it and he let himself be dragged. Thankfully the Phoenix agent was okay but Mac couldn't stop apologizing to the point he got down on his knees to ask for forgiveness. He was past the point of caring what his team would think. He was tired. 

Suddenly there was a gentle hand coming up to touch his cheek and Mac started wailing. 

Jack picked him up in a tight hug and Mac held on for dear life as he sobbed into Jack's neck. He could feel something wet in his hair and realized Jack was crying as well. 

"I'm so sorry, Jack. So sorry. I don't know what got into me." 

"Shh, it's okay. You're okay." 

"I was gonna kill him. I think if they didn't stop me... I was gonna..." Mac's breath hitched. 

"You didn't. And I know you wouldn't have done it. You are safe." 

Mac laughed hysterically and the look in Jack's eyes almost sent him into another crying fit. 

"You were the one who got his ass handed to him and you still worry about me."

"I always will, hoss." 

Mac stayed in Jack's embrace for a while until he felt Jack squirm underneath him. 

"What do you say we get out of here? I'm getting cramped and I think I got hay in places no hay should ever get." 

That got a chuckle out of Mac and the sheer relief he felt in that moment made him weak in the knees. 

"Good idea. Um... I think we should talk after you get checked out."

Jack nodded and then groaned dramatically.

"This earned me a trip to Medical, huh?" 

"The Presidential Suite. Specially for you." 

Jack let himself be helped to his feet and Mac slung one of Jack's arms around his shoulders. 

"You ain't hurt, right?" 

Mac looked at himself. He was covered in blood. He winced at the sight. 

"This came all from you. And Murdoc. Think I busted his nose." 

"Good. I'm glad you are okay, Mac. I knew you would come." 

"I'd always come, Jack. There isn't any force that could stop me from doing it." 

Jack leaned more on Mac as they walked outside to where the team was waiting.

"Ready to get this place behind us?" 

"Hell yeah. Lead the way, hoss."

**Author's Note:**

> P. S. I hope Mac and Jack won’t hate me by the end of the month… 
> 
> _Thoughts? ___


End file.
